Devtalnu

The Aevot word for tooth is “devti”, and as stated in the Malta Akkoure article, the word for large or big is “malnu”. An easy portmanteau of these to words produces the name for this species, which has very visible tusks, and are quite fat. The Devtalnu’s tusks curve slightly out as they come down, before quickly looping forward. This helps them literally skewer fish and Akkigavou before taking them back to shore to eat. Devtalnu have 4 flippers, the hind two of which are mostly conjoined at the base and can function as a single tail-like flipper. They can also walk on all four flippers, though due to their size this is mostly a repeated thrusting motion that slowly moves their body along terrestrially, as they are much more capable swimmers than walkers.

Biology and Behavior

As stated earlier, they are entirely carnivorous, eating fish and a swimming species of bird called the Akkigavou. Throughout the year they group together in small pods of 5-20, mostly related family units that keep a specific place to return to on the shore. After mating, the two will either join the pod of the mother or father, whichever is smaller to keep the amount of food required to a minimum for the entire group. During the cold season, after eating more food than necessary, Devtalnu seek shelter on warmer islands in the middle of seas, as the cold air from mountains makes beaches less preferable for hibernation. At this point in the year they are near motionless during light and only move during the darker portion of the day.

Ecology

Any large body of water is likely home to at least a handful of pods of Devtalnu. They do not like the confines of rivers, so bodies that seasonally grow and shrink with mountain water are unlikely to have them. Between the Devtalnu eating sea-based fish in the warm season and the Akkigavou eating them in the cold season, the two species keep the seas’ fish populations under control.

Interaction with Omneuttians

Many centuries in the past, Avotoc would hunt the Devtalnu for their tusks to be used in weapons and tools, but this has long since passed, and the Sentient Species does not eat sea-based fish, so Devtalnu and Avotoc have little interaction.